Add a ’cado to your diet

Add a ’cado to your diet

Sometimes, when you try something once, you absolutely hate it, but when you give it a second chance, you like it so much that you can’t believe it’s the same food. That’s what happened with me and avocados.

Avocados are loaded with vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C and potassium, plus monounsaturated fat (the good kind of fat) which was why I wanted to start eating them. But there was a problem: I hated the taste. Oddly enough, I decided to give it another try and this time I liked it!

The difference was that I combined it with foods I did like, rather than eat it on its own, and it actually enhanced the other foods’ flavors. Now, I grab a few avocados every time I go grocery shopping.

Here are three simple ways I include avocados in my diet:

Add it to a Smoothie

Whenever I make smoothies, I like to add half an avocado to introduce some healthy fat early in my day. I can’t really taste it but it’s a quick and easy way to incorporate it.

What I do is, in my juicer, I add one half of a Hass avocado, two or three cups of frozen fruit (I mix frozen pineapple and mango and if I have one, half a banana), a cup of coconut water, a cup of almond milk and – when I’m in the mood – I’ll also add a handful of spinach. The end result is a smooth and deliciously tangy drink that you can enjoy any time of the day.

Spread it on Toast

Spreading avocado on toast is a nutritious alternative to butter or margarine. Both butter and margarine have saturated fats (the bad kind of fat), and margarine has trans-fat (also the bad kind). So replacing these two spreads with avocado is the better choice.

I’ll typically cut a Hass avocado in quarters and used only one chunk to spread on both pieces of toasts. This might seem weird but I also add tomato (sliced or chopped), pepper and chopped green onion. This combination is great for lunch or as a snack. Just make sure you chew some gum right after to get rid of the onion smell from your breath.

Homemade Guacamole

I swap greasy, fat-filled dip for guacamole that I can concoct at home. Guac tastes best when using avocados that are good and ripe.

I tend to use two whole Hass avocados when I make my own guacamole. I then add salsa (organic if I can help it), pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Then, I mix it up with a spoon or throw the mixture in the blender.

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There are an endless amount of ways that one can enjoy this healthful fruit. I could finally appreciate the creamy goodness of an avocado just by experimenting with different recipes.

Jazzing up your least favorite foods can make all the difference in how appetizing they are. Play around with spices and ingredients and you might just like what you come up with.

What are your favorite ways to eat avocados? What foods have you tried before and hated but now love?